The present invention generally concerns a device for feeding documents for use in a facsimile system, wherein the gap between a preceding document and an incoming document is kept enough to prevent a paper jam caused by an overlapping of the documents.
Generally, there are two kinds of such devices. One type includes a sensor for sensing the trailing end of the preceding document when the trailing end passes by a pick-up roll, so that the next incoming document will be loaded, in response to the sensing signal, by the pick-up roll after a predetermined time delay. Another type is manufactured such that the pick-up roll is provided with an element like a notch for restricting the pivoting motion of the pick-up roll to a certain degree, so that the documents may be loaded successively with the gap between the documents being kept enough to prevent the document jam.
The former type of feeding device requires an external control device such as i.e. a clutch for connecting and disconnecting the pick-up roll to the drive shaft and a control circuit for controlling the clutch. The latter type of feeding device requires a hooking element (e.g., pin, etc.) for enabling the pick-up roll to rotate along with the rotating shaft, and a ratchet gear for permitting only one directional rotation of the rotating shaft, i.e., the document feeding direction. Hence, the conventional document feeding device for a facsimile machine has a complicated construction because of the increased number of the components thereof, thus increasing the production cost.